29/11/2017  Happy Valley  Race 7

HAPPY SURVEYS began only fairly. ENREACHING shifted in at the start and bumped SUNNY DRAGON. From the outside barriers, HAPPY BAO BEI and SUPER LEADER were steadied in the early stages and shifted across behind runners. When questioned, N Rawiller stated that up in distance to 1200 Metres, Trainer C Fownes advised that it was his preference for MEGA HEART to obtain a position in about midfield with cover if it was possible. He said, from barrier 9, he initially allowed the horse to stride forward without riding it along with a view to establishing whether he may be able to obtain a position as instructed. He said due to ENREACHING being ridden along to his inside, he believed that he would have had to make a lot of use of MEGA HEART to clear that horse and in any case it was likely that the horse would not be able to obtain cover and therefore near the 1100 Metres he commenced to steady MEGA HEART with a view to obtaining cover behind ENREACHING. He said when he did this MEGA HEART proved very difficult to settle and would not relax and he was therefore not able, despite his considerable efforts, to have the horse steady sufficiently to obtain the position behind ENREACHING. He added because of the manner in which MEGA HEART was racing, he was left racing very wide outside ENREACHING making the turn after the 1000 Metres. He said as MEGA HEART was over-racing quite badly, he allowed the horse to stride forward of ENREACHING to establish whether he might be able to obtain a position with cover behind GAMECHANGERS. He said however that MEGA HEART continued to prove very difficult to settle, would not relax and over-raced badly along the Back Straight when required to race without cover. He said because MEGA HEART was required to race without cover and due primarily to the horse’s failure to relax, MEGA HEART then was not able to finish off the race. The Stewards will question Trainer C Fownes regarding the riding instructions given to Jockey Rawiller and the performance of the horse, prior to the Sha Tin racemeeting to be conducted on Sunday, 3 December 2017 as he had left the course immediately after this race. A veterinary inspection of MEGA HEART immediately following the race including an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of blood in the horse's trachea. Before being allowed to race again, MEGA HEART will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. MEGA HEART, CALIFORNIA FORTUNE and WONDERFUL JOURNEY were sent for sampling. <3/12/2017 29 November 2017 Happy Valley Racemeeting Race 7 (233)>The Stewards today questioned Mr C Fownes, the trainer of MEGA HEART, regarding the instructions he provided to N Rawiller in this race. He said stepping up to 1200 Metres, it had been hoped that MEGA HEART would be able to obtain a position in about midfield but with cover. He said MEGA HEART can race keenly and therefore it is necessary, wherever possible, to obtain cover and as he felt that there would be good speed in the race, he believed that this may open up the field which may provide MEGA HEART the opportunity to obtain a position about midfield. He said however that he did not issue binding instructions to Jockey Rawiller given that the horse was awkwardly drawn in barrier 9. He said he felt that it would have been better had MEGA HEART been steadied in the early stages to obtain a position behind ENREACHING in the early stages as when MEGA HEART was left racing without cover, the horse then would not settle. He added, from a wide barrier, he will be instructing the rider of the horse in future to switch it off in the early stages so as to ensure that it is able to obtain cover and therefore is able to settle better. He said however, from an inside barrier, he believes that MEGA HEART has sufficient early speed to be able to take up a more forward position so long as it is able to have cover.